The Air Textures compilation series is an intriguing one, for it contains little to no beats and hardly any tunes, but it is right up there with some of the best mood music you could hope to hear at the moment. That immediately sounds the warning bell that there might be some pretentious new age music on show, but again that’s not the case – just two sets of dreamy, almost weightless shifts of sound that blend in to each other. Loscil chooses the first, which features his own ‘Else’, a series of warm pulses that feel like musical waves, and Strategy’s ‘Frog City’, which is more like musical cotton wool. Closing with Mitchell Akiyama’s ‘Dirge For The Canon’ is an adventurous move though, as a powerful organ loop cuts in to the dreamy atmosphere. Rafael Anton Irisarri brings forward the second selection, and here too there is a sense of defying gravity, though Simon Scott’s ‘Modena’ introduces warmth, and Mokira’s ‘I Love You Pipecock’ sets down more solid roots. Overall though this is every bit as good as the first in the series, which was one of last year’s standout compilations – and It works as the perfect late night / morning after comedown. There’s no other compilation like it – and in today’s ever crowded market place that is a very strong claim to make. Get horizontal and enjoy!
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
